Meet The Granary Weevil, The Pantry Monster Of Our Own Creation

Granary weevils are different from similar species: They can't fly. That's because they figured out how to use humans to get around the globe, and we are getting tired of this clingy relationship.

by Lindsay PattersonJan 8, 20194 minutes

This granary weevil has set up shop inside a kernel. Even without wings, these stealthy stowaways — with the help of humans — have managed to infest grains all over the world for thousands of years.Source: Biophoto Associates

If you store grains in your pantry, you've probably had the unfortunate experience of opening a package or jar to find tiny bugs living inside.

You're not alone — there are more than 200 species of these pesky grain insects ruining dinner plans around the world on a daily basis. It's no accident that they've made a home in your pantry — they've evolved along with humans. In a way, they contain a fascinating natural history of our own domestication.

This is particularly true of the granary weevil. A reddish-brown beetle that turns up in oats, rice, corn, dry pasta and more, it's the only grain insect that has never been found outside of human